


SHIELDS!

by WinterAssassin



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Celebrations, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, Family, Friendship, Games, Kíli believes he found his One, M/M, One Year Later, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Shields, Thranduil and Dáin being Thranduil and Dáin, Uneasy Allies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:06:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22567531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterAssassin/pseuds/WinterAssassin
Summary: Being the younger, reckless of the two, Kíli was always the best at Shields. Very few challenged him and when they did, they made a fool of themselves and lost the game. Now a year after reclaiming The Lonely Mountain, at a gathering and feast in celebration of the victory achieved that day – Kíli decides that he will take back his throne at being the best at Shields.He welcomes any challenger – even that of the elven kind, in the form of the Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf.Or - the story in which Kíli thinks he finds his One.
Relationships: Kíli/Legolas Greenleaf
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	SHIELDS!

All the preparations were done and everything was in order. Already Kíli could smell the meats cooking in the kitchens, being prepared for the huge feast tonight. It was torturous. He considered going in there to check on Bombur and the other kitchen workers but decided against when he saw Fíli giving him a small glare. Kíli huffed out, “What?”

“I know what your thinking,” Fíli told him _what_. “You are not going to go in there and ruin everything, Kí.”

Kíli scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not gonna ruin anything, Fí.” The dark haired dwarf said in his own defence. “I was the one who went hunting and helped catch the animals they’re cooking, though.” The younger prince mumbled.

Fíli rolled his eyes. “Yes, I was there too, remember?” Kíli shrugged, and Fíli heaved a sigh. “Just be patient, Kí. I told you to get some breakfast earlier but you were too excited over the fact that our guests will be arriving soon.”

Kíli went rigid. He spun around, eyes narrowed at his older brother. “No!” He childishly defended. “I- I was just happy, er... Not happy. I was... Damn.” Kíli could not find anything better to say so he went silent, ignoring the look Fíli gave him. He huffed.

“Speaking of...” Fíli glanced around the halls. He began to make his way to the entrance of the mountain. “Kí, uncle wants me to greet _Dáin_ and the rest of his kin. They will be here any minute. King Bard and a few others will arrive in about an hour but the elves will be here shortly. I’ll leave them to you, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Kíli mumbled and nodded, not really hearing what his brother was saying in his haste to leave. The archer paused, “Wait,” He squinted at his brother’s retreating form. “Fí, why do _I_ have to greet the elves?!”

Kíli watched as his older brother disappeared around the corner. The dark haired heir heaved a sigh. He was not exactly up for meeting the Elf King Thranduil and his son. Although he supposed it would not be all bad if Tauriel was going to be there. She was Captain of the Guard and did play a role in keeping him alive during the Battle. Kíli sighed happily.

A random dwarf passing by gave him an odd look. Kíli coughed and composed himself, choosing to ignore the look the guy gave him. He brushed and smoothed the wrinkles of his tunic out and flung his hair back before he began to slowly make his way to the front. If Fíli was meeting Dáin and the others, and the elves were supposed to arrive soon, then Kíli would wait there until they did. It was not like he had anything better to do, other than stalk the kitchens – which he would no doubt get in trouble for.

Kíli marched on-wards, nodding his head at the dwarves passing by and greeting him. He appreciated their greetings and bows as he was an heir, just like Fíli – but in all honesty, Kíli wished they would treat him as any normal dwarf. Like a friend, not a royalty. Besides, Kíli felt as if he would do a terrible job at running a kingdom. Which was why he happily left it to Thorin and Fíli. They knew what they were doing and Kíli, well, he was just troublesome and reckless. As his mother constantly reminded him nearly every passing day.

The brown eyed prince came to a halt when he spotted the familiar mop of blond hair which belonged to his brother. He watched Fíli lead Dáin and his companions further into the mountain, to the hall where Thorin was at – all the while keeping him engaged in small talk, no less. If it were Kíli, he would probably say something stupid or odd.

When they were gone from sight, Kíli whistled to himself as he made his way to the gates. He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the cold stone-carved mountain. He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the pathway and field leading to the mountain. Kíli sighed when he saw no sign of the elves yet. When Fíli said they would be here _s_ _hortly_ , Kíli wanted it to be _now_. But apparently the elves liked things their way.

The young prince pushed himself off the wall and paced about, getting lost in his thoughts. He slowed his pacing and eventually came to a stop as he thought back to the battle. ‘ _A year ago today..._ ’ Kíli thought as he absentmindedly reached up and touched his chest. He could feel the scarred tissue under his tunic. It made him involuntarily shiver at the memory. ‘ _I’m lucky that Tauriel managed to knock back Bolg in time. Or I surely would be dead..._ ’

Kíli heard someone clear their throat and it pulled his attention to somewhere behind him. He spun on his heel and was surprised to see Thranduil and Legolas standing a few feet away from him. “ _Wait_...” Kíli uttered with narrowed eyes, quickly glancing back to the open field and then back to the two elves. He asked, “When did you get here?”

Thranduil just stared at him with an aloof expression whereas Legolas rolled his eyes. “We just walked up but clearly you were lost in your thoughts. I assume you are the one guiding us?” It was Legolas who spoke, as if King Thranduil would not stoop down to Kíli's level.

Kíli stared at the fair-haired Prince of Mirkwood but nodded. “My brother would normally do it, but he is busy with our kin from the Iron Hill’s. _Uhm_ ,” The dark haired dwarf went quiet as he stared at the father-son pair. He could not help himself as he asked, “Where is Tauriel?”

Again, Legolas rolled his eyes but it was his father to speak this time around. “Tauriel is back in Mirkwood. She has been taking her work seriously to rebuild the trust she carelessly destroyed a year ago.” Replied Thranduil.

Kíli nodded slowly. He remembered her saying in one of the few letter’s she sent him that she was busy and focused, constantly working to mend the broken trust and bonds she set askew from her actions in the battle. Kíli remembered it well. He was happy for her, though. Because at least Thranduil accepted her back into his Kingdom. Although not being able to see his friend made him a bit sad, especially since he was stuck showing around two elven stiff’s. ‘ _That’s right,_ ’ Kili thought, his brown eyes darting back to the two. ‘ _I nearly forgot about them, again..._ ’

The dwarven heir cleared his throat and motioned for them to follow him. “I guess we’ll go to see uncle, I mean, King Thorin. Uh, unless you want me to show you to your quarters? Assuming you are staying?”

Thranduil seemed to have an internal debate. Legolas meanwhile just stood silently, his eyes scanning the interior of the mountain. After a few moments of silence, Thranduil told Kíli that he would bring them to greet Thorin then show them their quarters. Kíli just nodded. ‘ _Makes sense. I’m sure uncle would want to know when his guests arrive... Why do I not think of these things?_ ’ He shook his head, disappointed in himself.

Kíli brought them to the hall and down the narrow walkway to where the throne sat. Thorin was standing and currently discussing things with Dáin. The other dwarves who accompanied Dáin were no where to be found and Kíli assumed that his brother went to show them their quarters. Kíli lead the pair up and stood there awkwardly. He was not sure if he was supposed to interrupt Thorin or just let him yap with his second cousin. Kíli's eyes found their way to Balin, a great friend and trusted adviser to Thorin, and motioned to the two elves behind him.

Balin caught his gaze and smiled, resisting the urge to scoff at the younger heir. Balin stepped up beside Thorin and lightly patted their King’s shoulder. “Thorin, Kíli has brought your other guests.” Balin nodded over to the three standing before the conversing dwarves.

Thorin turned from Balin and Dáin, his dark blue eyes landing on Thranduil and Legolas. He pursed his lips but bowed his head in greeting. “Welcome to Erebor, King Thranduil and Prince Legolas of Mirkwood.”

Next to him, Dáin raised his nose to the elves, eyeing them as he blurted out, “You just _had_ to invite the woodland sprite and his twink offspring, didn’t ya?”

  
Everyone and everything went silent.

Kíli turned his shocked face to Thorin who only looked mildly amused, making Kíli even more shocked. Surely if _he_ said something so rude he would get punished. But _no_ , here Lord Dáin was, mouthing off to their royal guests and borderline-allies – and all Thorin could do was _smirk_ in amusement? Kíli turned his gaze to the two elves.

Legolas’ eyes were wide, surprise and anger evident on his face. Thranduil, however, just looked equally as amused as Thorin. Kíli looked away, wondering if he was missing something. Before anyone could even take another breath, Thranduil started, “Interesting words coming from the likes of you, considering it was _my army_ who did most of the work.” The elven King of Mirkwood stated, his icy blue eyes staring down at Dáin.

“Oh, aye, that’s what he likes to think,” Kíli looked to see Dáin talking to Thorin, a grin on his face. Dáin turned back to Thranduil, his arms crossed over his chest. “Lets not forget who saved your fairy-ass, now.”

Thranduil chuckled, “And lets not forget who saved your beloved King.” The elf retorted, raising his chin. He had a proud look on his face as he continued, “If anything, Thorin should be kissing the ground my son walks on.”

Legolas’ head snapped to Thranduil, his eyes wide from such a ludicrous discussion. “ _Father!_ ” Legolas snapped, a glare on his delicate features. The prince took a hold of Kíli's sleeve and dragged him away. Kíli had no objection to be dragged away from such an odd greeting between the three. He almost felt bad for abandoning Balin, though. When they were far enough away, Legolas came to a stop.

“So...” Kíli began awkwardly, not sure of what to say anymore. The elf let go of his sleeve so Kíli used that moment to adjust his tunic and smooth out the wrinkles. He finished and glanced back up to the elf, faltering when he saw redden cheeks. Kíli averted his eyes but found himself drawn back to the flushed prince. “Uhm... Is something the matter?” Asked Kíli.

Legolas sighed and shook his head. “No. But I hate it whenever my father gets like that. It’s just...”

“Embarrassing?” Kíli finished.

The elven prince nodded.

Kíli smiled. “I understand, my mum can be pretty embarrassing sometimes. Or, well... Most of the time. Especially when you don’t want or need the attention.” Kíli lost his smile as he reflected over the numerous times his mother had said or done something embarrassing. Then again, he knew it was because she loved and cared for him. So he supposed that was a plus.

The dwarven prince looked back to Legolas. He opened his mouth, about to say something to the elven prince but his brother came walking from around a corner. “Oh, Fí,” Kíli blinked. Fíli stopped and raised his head. The blond looked in between the two then towards the throne room. Kíli coughed, “I don’t know if you want to go in there, Fí.”

Fíli gave him a look, “ _Why?_ ” He asked as he peaked around the corner. “You brought King Thranduil to uncle, did you not?”

“Aye,” Kíli said quickly, grasping his brother’s jacket. “But the three are... having a discussion.” The dark haired prince quipped, forcing a laugh. At his brother’s expression, Kíli sighed. “Lord Dáin may have said some insulting things to the elven King and then the elven King may have said something insulting, and now everyone is arguing like an old married couple.” Explained Kíli.

Legolas snorted. Fíli just stared at him. Kíli pouted. “What?” He huffed out. “It’s true!” Kíli looked back at the tall elf. “And his father said something embarrassing, something about-”

“That information is not required,” Legolas snapped, glaring at the dark haired prince. “Why don’t you just show me to my quarters?” He suggested.

Kíli's mouth formed an ‘o’. He faced Fíli and clapped his older brother on the shoulder. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, Fí. Good luck!” With that, Kíli motioned for Legolas to follow him to the wing where they kept their royal guests quarters.

♣ ♣ ♣

A couple hours has passed since Kíli last showed Legolas to his room. He left the elven prince to his own devices and when he returned, King Thranduil was no where to be seen. Kíli thought he screwed up but his uncle told him that Fíli handled it. Kíli had felt somewhat bad, since he was always letting Fíli take care of everything.

The celebration in the Hall of Shields has now been in full swing since King Bard and the people of Dale arrived. Thorin gave quite a speech at the beginning. He honored the dead and the ones who gave their lives – he talked about the trials and tribulations they all went though for the battle. When he gave his toast, the halls were filled with cheers and chatter. Currently, people were talking amongst themselves, telling tales and singing songs of the battle they won.

Kíli himself managed to down a pint or two since the celebrations started and he was not about to stop. He could tell Fíli was moderating himself while their uncle seemed to not have a problem. Kíli supposed it was because he was older and knew how to hold his ale. Unlike Kíli, who was still young and could feel the beginnings of what was going to be a great night.

It was only getting better because the food that Kíli and the others worked hard to hunt for came out and everybody cheered. Kíli glanced at Thranduil and Legolas, the King looking somewhat appalled by the bear head brought out and placed on the table full of royals, family members, and close friends. Thorin chuckled at his reaction. Kíli looked to Legolas, who raised a brow at the display but did not say anything.

The feasting began and Kíli stuffed his face until he began to feel full. He decided to take it easy and let it all digest before he ate anymore. His ale, however, he finished and moved onto the next. Bofur, who was seated a few head’s down from him stood and clambered up onto the table. He sang a song to which others either joined in or tossed food and such in his direction, all in good fun. Kíli laughed along with his brother as he watched a half-eaten bun go flying and knock Bofur’s hat clean off his head.

When the song was over, Kíli turned his attention to Thorin and Dwalin who were conversing of the days before Smaug claimed the mountain. It made Kíli think back to the parties and celebrations they would have in the Blue Mountains. He smiled at the fond memories. Kíli raised his head with the sudden realization that they were in the Hall of Shields. With an idea brewing in his mind, the second heir smirked.

Kíli stood and downed the last of his ale before tossing the mug somewhere over his shoulder. He raised his arms high in the air and declared loudly, “SHIIIELLDS!”

Next to him, Fíli started laughing where as the others all had knowing looks, amused and reminiscent of their old tradition. Thorin grinned and stood as well. He raised his hand and motioned for everyone to clear the area, shouting in his deep voice, “SHIELDS!”

On the other side of the King Under the Mountain, Thranduil and Legolas sat wide-eyed and slightly confused as to why everyone was cheering and shouting about shields. Dáin laughed loudly and smacked the elven king’s shoulder merrily. “It’s an age old game we like to play! I’ve heard tales of Kíli being particularly good at it so you may want to sit back and watch him.” Explained Dáin.

Thranduil straightened himself from the unwarranted smack but turned his attention to Kíli, who at the mention of his name, grinned widely. “I’m the best at it!” The dark haired dwarf said cheekily.

Kíli motioned for the two elves to stand back as half the dwarves got to work and pushed the tables around, moving them out of the way while the other half ran to take the shields down from the walls. Kíli looked up at Legolas who seemed mildly interested over the whole ordeal while King Thranduil just watched with a raised brow. It made Kíli laugh. “Don’t worry, it’s _fun_.” He told the father-son pair.

Once the tables were moved and the shields were passed around, the dwarves formed a circle and raised the shields, creating a platform. Kíli hopped up onto a table and clapped his hands together as he scoured the many dwarven faces for a challenger. Naturally he would pick his brother but Kíli knew that Fíli would be a difficult opponent. For now, he wanted to start off with an easy target.

Some of the dwarves were grinning, eagerly awaiting the game, whilst others avoided Kíli's searching eyes. It made Kíli smirk. He was glad to know he made a lasting impression on being the unbeatable one in a game of shields. It made him proud, so he stood straighter and held his head higher. His chocolate brown eyes scanned the sea of dwarves and eventually decided on a challenger. Kíli pointed to a dwarf from the Iron Hill’s. “You,” Said Kíli.

The dwarf peered around before pointing a finger at himself. Kíli nodded, unable to hide the smirk forming on his lips. The dwarf pursed his lips and nodded, not one to back down from a challenge. The crowd erupted in cheers.

Kíli stepped to the edge of the table and looked to the dwarf holding up a shield so it was level. He stepped onto it carefully and spread his weight so it was easier to balance. His opponent did the same, albeit across from him. Kíli could feel the excitement and adrenaline running through his veins. It brought him back to the days spent in the Blue Mountains. Oh, how he cherished those memories.

The young dwarven prince smirked at the conversing dwarves who were currently making bets. Those who knew him bet he would win while the unlucky few who did not know of his implacable winning streak bet against him. Kíli was looking forward to making them lose their gold. His brown eyes met with Legolas’ cool blue orbs and Kíli raised his voice to talk over the others, “Shields is a game of copy-cat.” He stated coolly as he took a step onto another shield being held up by a different dwarf.

Kíli looked to his opponent and watched as the dwarf took a step as well, more shaky and unbalanced than him. He turned his attention back to the elves and continued his explanation. “One preforms an action that the other must mirror. We take turns until someone falls or gives up.”

Kíli watched his opponent break into a jog. The prince did the same, making sure to keep his pace the same as the other dwarf. They ended up on opposite ends from where they each started, having went half around the circle. Kíli licked his lips and took off in a sprint. He jumped over a shield, stepped on the next and skipped the following one. He stopped at the halfway point and turned to see his opponent jump the last shield and land shakily on the final one. The dwarf teetered but stayed up right. Kíli was impressed he made it this far. His unnamed opponent started to run but as he reached a curve, he stumbled and slipped over his boots and went crashing to the ground.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Kíli grinned as he came to a stop. Coins went flying in every direction; the losers paying up. While everyone sorted their bets out, Kíli searched the crowd for a new victim. Or rather – opponent. But before he could get the chance to pick some unwilling dwarf, it was none other than Legolas who volunteered to go next.

The heir of Durin could see the elf prince’s father gave him a look but Legolas ignored it as he stepped forward. Thranduil rolled his eyes at being ignored and settled for crossing his arms over his chest, much like a stubborn child. Kíli eyed Legolas, wondering what spurred the elven prince to challenge him. “This is new,” Kíli announced, his voice echoing through-out the hall. “An elf challenging a dwarf to their own game.”

This roused a few chuckles and words to be exchanged. Kíli looked to his uncle who appeared to have no problem with it. He glanced at his brother who stood next to Thorin, the blond looking unperturbed by the unusual pair. Kíli offered Fíli a shrug, to which his brother responded with a little shake of his head. Kíli scoffed.

‘ _If Fí thinks this is a bad idea then let him. I_ _will_ _win, no_ _sweat_ _._ ’ Kíli thought, smiling to himself. The second heir turned his attention back to his challenger and easily walked across the row of shields before he came to a stop in front of the fair-haired elf.

Kíli held his hand out to Legolas, beckoning him with his fingers to take his hand. Legolas stared for a mere moment but did so, accepting the outstretched hand of the dark haired dwarf prince. Kíli felt a jolt shoot up his arm from the skin contact, rushing though his body and making him feel warm and dazed. He blinked and gave his head a slight shake to clear his mind.

The brown eyed prince noticed Legolas give him a faint glancing look as he was helped up onto a shield next to the dwarven prince. Kíli was mildly impressed at the fact that Legolas stood still on the shield, easily balanced as if it were not difficult. But then Kíli remembered Thorin mentioning something about how light on their feet elves were which briefly made him think that maybe this win would not be easy.

Either way, Kíli was challenged by the prince of Mirkwood. If he were to back out now, he would _never_ hear the end of it and not to mention his reputation of King of Shields would be crushed. Kíli cleared his throat and looked up at Legolas, eyeing the elf. “Well, you understand the rules, right?”

Legolas gave his nod of confirmation.

Kíli grinned. “Good. Try and keep up!” The brown eyed dwarf said cockily as he turned to take his place across the ways from Legolas. Kíli came to a stop and stared at the blond haired elf, calling to him, “You start!”

Legolas held a faint smirk on his face as he took off in a run, startling Kíli.

The heir of Durin sprinted after Legolas, catching up with his pace in a matter of seconds. They did a full lap before Legolas came to a stop and waited for Kíli to do something. Kíli smirked and motioned for a dwarf to pass him a mug of ale. He took off once the ale was in his hand and managed to throw in a spin as he took a sip before throwing the mug off in some random direction. All the while, his eyes were on Legolas – who copied his movements perfectly.

Kíli chuckled, his eyes alight and burning.

Legolas turned around and began to walk backwards, stepping carefully on the row of shields, his eyes locked onto Kíli's chocolate brown orbs. Kíli turned and did the same, following him step by step. Legolas squinted at him before he gracefully fell back and rolled with the momentum, ending up back on his feet.

Kíli bit his lip in an attempt to hide his wolfish grin. His heart thudded in his chest, determined to do the same as the elven prince. He fell backwards and used the momentum to roll his body around. Kíli managed to get back onto his feet, albeit not as graceful as Legolas had been. But still, he accomplished what he needed to.

His body was burning from the challenge Legolas gave him, buzzing and tingling with the urge to one up the prince in some way. Kíli rubbed his nose and started walking, watching as Legolas mirrored his movements. Kíli picked up the pace and glanced at the row of shields in front of him. He looked to the dwarf holding a shield a few heads down and smirked. The dwarf gulped and tightened his hold on the shield. Kíli ran.

He raised his arms and threw them as he turned sideways, successfully cartwheeling across the shields. He could hear cheers and claps and when he landed up-right, Kíli's gaze shot to Legolas. The fair-skinned elf easily cartwheeled, just as Kíli had, and landed back on his feet. The two stood there, staring each other down as the crowd cheered for them both.

Kíli took a few moments to catch his breath, slightly envious that Legolas was no where near being out of breath.

It was Thorin who broke him out of his stupor, his deep voice rumbling through the hall. “I declare two winners of tonight’s game of Shields!” The King of Erebor shouted, the shouts and cheers from the crowd growing. As much as Kíli wanted to continue, he understood why Thorin put a stop to it. Simply because if he did not, the game would continue well into the night. Kíli hopped down from the shield he stood on and made his way over to Legolas.

The prince of Mirkwood jumped down and brushed off his clothing, smoothing down the wrinkles that formed from the game. Kíli stuck his hands in his pockets, eyeing the prince as he thought of what to say. Finally, he congratulated Legolas. “That was pretty good. For an elf.” Kíli stated casually, balancing on his heels. “I wanted to continue but uncle had to put a stop to it. You see, if we kept going I’m sure we never stop.”

Legolas nodded slowly. “I did not want to stop, though...” He said. “I could have kept on going.” The elf said in a challenging way that made Kíli's blood burn in such a good way.

Kíli scoffed. “And then what? Did you think you’d _win?_ No one has beat me yet.”

“No, but we _did_ tie,” Legolas smirked. “I’m sure I could tire you out, though.”

The dwarven prince narrowed his eyes at Legolas. He took a step forward, getting up close and personal with the elven warrior. “You say that but I’m sure I could tire you out first. I’m still young, you see, so I got tons of stamina.” Kíli went as far as to wink at the fair-skinned prince.

Legolas narrowed his eyes down at the brown eyed dwarf, something that Kíli found alluring in the present moment. “Well,” Legolas said softly, “I guess we’ll never find out, now will we?”

Kíli broke eye contact, lowering his eyes to his feet. “I guess so.” He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “But then again, we could always find other ways to test out stamina.”

“Now I’m not sure _what_ you two are talking about but I’m sure as hell its not about _shields_ anymore!” Dáin laughed at the two princes, loudly. Legolas and Kíli both stepped back; Legolas with an eye-roll and Kíli looking abashed. Dáin clapped them both on the back as he laughed at the pair. “Now, now, don’t go getting all shy around little ‘ol me!”

Kíli forced a laugh out, shrugging off Dáin’s arm. “I’m not _shy!_ I was just saying that I’d never accept defeat from an elf. Right?” Kíli looked to Legolas, who only nodded in turn. Kíli nodded, too – before he turned around, feeling like he needed another drink.

As if his prayers were answered, Fíli appeared in front of him, a pint of ale in hand. “Here you go, brother.” Fíli said coolly as he handed the drink to him. Fíli looked to Legolas, giving the elven prince a smile, “Sorry, I just need to bother him for a few minutes.”

With that, Fíli dragged Kíli to somewhere more quiet from the others who were moving the tables back so they could continue to party on through the night. They ended up moving outside the Hall of Shields where they had more privacy. Fíli stopped and turned Kíli around, staring at his younger brother. “Kí, I told you that wasn’t going to be a good idea...”

“Well, sorry you have such little faith in me, brother.” Kíli huffed out once he took a sip of his ale.

Fíli shook his head. “No,” He started. “I just meant that neither of you like to lose and it was going to go on forever before either of you gave up or failed, so I guess it’s a good thing that uncle put a stop to it.”

“Oh.” Kíli blinked at his golden-haired brother’s explanation. He thought over Fíli’s words and found himself sighing. “Aye, I guess not wanting to lose is something we have in common...”

Fíli stared at the dreamy look on his younger brother’s face. He knew the look; the soft eyes and dopey half-smile. Fíli groaned and turned away from Kíli. His groan made Kíli blink and come out of his stupor. “What?” Kíli glared.

“Kí, you fall in love too easily...” Fíli chided softly. He thought Kíli had been in love with that other elf maiden. But now he was smitten with the Prince of Mirkwood? Fíli rubbed his face, not sure of what to say or do about it. He wondered if he should tell Thorin or let Kíli tell him himself.

Kíli gasped at his accusation. “I am _not–_!” Kíli fell silent as he thought back to when his hand touched Legolas’ smooth and nimble fingers. He remembered the jolt of electricity that went thought his entire being. Even now, he could feel his skin go warm from the thought. His heart beat quickened, as well. Kíli gasped again, but for a different reason. “Fí! I think I found my _One!_ ”

Fíli smacked his forehead. “Kíli, a _one_ is not to be mentioned lightly... Also, how can your one be an elf?”

“ _So what?_ ” Kíli glared at Fíli. “I don’t care if he’s an elf.” The dark haired prince said stubbornly, his arms crossed over his chest in defence.

Fíli raised his hands, “Peace, brother...” His words seemed to calm Kíli. Fíli offered his younger brother a smile and put his hands on his shoulders. “I do not mind if your one is an elf but I was simply wondering if such a thing was possible.”

Kíli took Fíli's words in consideration and nodded slowly. “I’m sorry,” He apologized for his childish behavior. “It’s just... I feel something, Fí. It makes me want to be close to him and...” Kíli went quiet, his cheeks darkening.

“You needn’t say anything else, brother,” Fíli ruffled his brother’s hair, laughing as Kíli tried to fix the mess Fíli made of his hair. He glanced back to the celebrations going on down the hall and said to Kíli, “I think we should get back to the party. We don’t want uncle or mum to worry.”

Kíli agreed.

The two brothers made it back to see everything back in full swing, everyone was partying as if a game of shields had never taken place to begin with. Fíli returned to his spot near their uncle and Kíli stood, his eyes searching the sea of dwarves and men. Although his eyes were only looking for a certain elven prince. His warm brown eyes landed on the straight haired, blond elf who took his place by Thranduil once again. Kíli smiled and wondered what he should challenge Legolas to next.

They still had to find out who had better stamina, after all. Kíli had a few ideas but he wanted to save those for after he successfully courted the elven prince.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a scene in the movie **Outlander**!
> 
> If you haven't seen that movie, you should check it out. It's about a man who crash-lands on Earth in the Viking Age and unknowingly releases a creature called a "moorwen" (or closest term he could translate it to "dragon") on the people. So he teams up with a village to kill the creature.
> 
> If you don't wanna watch the movie, you could always look up Outlander Shields Scene on Youtube. ☺
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!


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